Letras Latinas, the literary program of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies (ILS), recently launched its online publication Latino Poetry Review (LPR), the only literary journal in the United States dedicated to Latino poetry.
Designed to spur inquiry and dialogue in Latino poetry and poetics (an often-overlooked area of literary studies), the LPR will be published twice a year at http://www.latinopoetryreview.com/ .
“Certainly we want to draw critical attention to Latino poetry,” said founding editor and Letras Latinas director Francisco Aragn, “but Notre Dame also has one of the strongest poetics programs around, and I’d like LPR to eventually play a pedagogical role in this program by providing a venue for graduate students in the English department.”
“In a time when there is very little reviewing of poetry, Latino Poetry Review performs a great service, bringing the work of established and emerging poets to a larger, and now more informed, reading audience,” said Notre Dame poetry scholar Stephen Fredman, professor of English.
In its first week, LPR attracted significant attention in the online poetry community. Poet and critic Ron Silliman, who runs Silliman’s Blog, one of the most well-known and visited poetry Web logs, linked several LPR pieces to his March 31 blog and concluded that day’s post by writing “A big tip of the hat to Latino Poetry Review.”
Letras Latinas seeks to enhance the visibility, appreciation and study of Latino literature, both on and off the Notre Dame campus, with a focus on projects that identify and support emerging Latino writers.
Founded in 1999, the ILS fosters understanding of the U.S. Latino experience by advancing research, expanding knowledge and strengthening community.It supports interdisciplinary initiatives in Latino studies as a key component of the University’s academic mission.
Contact: Francisco Aragn, 202-974-6281, faragon@nd.edu
Originally published by at newsinfo.nd.edu on April 21, 2008.